Systems and Methods for Optimizing Spectral Resolution for a Hearing System

A system comprising:

• a first microphone configured to detect audio content presented to a recipient and output a first audio signal representative of the audio content;
• a sound processor communicatively coupled to the first microphone and associated with a first ear of the recipient, the sound processor configured to:
• direct a cochlear implant to apply standard electrical stimulation representative of frequencies in the first audio signal that are within an upper region of an audible frequency range to a cochlea of the first ear by way of a plurality of electrodes located within the cochlea of the first ear in accordance with a frequency allocation table that maps frequencies in the upper region of the audible frequency range of the recipient to the plurality of electrodes, the upper region of the audible frequency range comprising frequencies above and including a cutoff frequency;
• and
• direct the cochlear implant to apply electrical stimulation representative of frequencies in the first audio signal that are within a lower region of the audible frequency range to the cochlea of the first ear by way of a most apical electrode included in the plurality of electrodes and one or more compensating electrodes included in the plurality of electrodes in accordance with an electrode stimulation configuration, the lower region of the audible frequency range comprising frequencies below the cutoff frequency;
• a second microphone configured to detect the audio content presented to the recipient and output a second audio signal representative of the audio content;
• and
• a hearing device associated with a second ear of the recipient and configured to:
• receive, from the second microphone, the second audio signal;
• and
• direct a receiver to apply, to the second ear, acoustic stimulation representative of frequencies in the second audio signal that are in the lower region of the audible frequency range,
• wherein, in the frequency allocation table, a first electrode included in the plurality of electrodes is mapped to a first frequency corresponding to a place pitch of the first electrode and a second electrode included in the plurality of electrodes is mapped to a second frequency corresponding to a place pitch of the second electrode.

A method comprising:

• directing, by a sound processor, a cochlear implant to apply standard electrical stimulation representative of frequencies in an audio signal that are within an upper region of an audible frequency range to a cochlea of a first ear of a recipient by way of a plurality of electrodes located within the cochlea of the first ear in accordance with a frequency allocation table that maps frequencies in the upper region of the audible frequency range of the recipient to the plurality of electrodes, the upper region of the audible frequency range comprising frequencies above and including a cutoff frequency;
• and
• directing, by the sound processor, the cochlear implant to apply electrical stimulation representative of frequencies in the audio signal that are within a lower region of the audible frequency range to the cochlea of the first ear by way of a most apical electrode included in the plurality of electrodes and one or more compensating electrodes included in the plurality of electrodes in accordance with an electrode stimulation configuration, the lower region of the audible frequency range comprising frequencies below the cutoff frequency,
• wherein, in the frequency allocation table, a first electrode included in the plurality of electrodes is mapped to a first frequency corresponding to a place pitch of the first electrode and a second electrode included in the plurality of electrodes is mapped to a second frequency corresponding to a place pitch of the second electrode.